Quick detachable connector



Sept. 9, 1952 B. FOX

QUICK DETACHABLE CONNECTOR SHEETS--SI-IEET 2 Original Filed ma l5, 1946 we a; .J a I l'NVE/YTOR Benjamin Fox -Attorney Rcis'sucd Sept. 9. 195

3,541. omen nn'rscmnm'comcroa Benjamin Fox, Philadelphia, r5. Original No. 2,502,253. dated March 28,1950; se-

' rial No. 689.931, M315, 1946. Application tor reissue September. 16, 1950, Serial No. 185,311 #3 claims. (curs-32s) i Matter enclosed in heavy brackets [-1 appe m in me wh n patent but forms: no o! I reissue specification: matter. printed in italicsindicates the addition: made by reissue.

My invention relates to a device for connecting an electrical circuit, and relates particularly to coupling two portions "or an electrical circuit.

'Heretolore, electrical coupling members have been employed but each coupling member was complementaryto theother, in other words, each .portionof the electrical coupling member was made of a diflerentp'a'rt, whereas, with my invention-eachoi the parts will-be identical in: construction. 1

My invention is suitable for electronic circuits where polarity must be maintained, or it may beused in power circuits. In either case good electrical-contacts must be maintained between the H .15 trical coupling members joined together.

. contact member, and corrosion or dirt on the contact members also must be reducedto a minimum I It is-anobject of my invention to manufacture detachable electrical coupling members of iden-.

' tical parts so that they can be mechanically and electrically connected. together with aminimum amount of contact resistance. 7

V Another and a very important object of my.

invention is to provide, in electrical coupling devices as above set forth, improved contact elemerits" which, while nolargejr than similar contact elements of the prior art and in some cases even smaller thanicorrespondiny prior art con- 'tact elements) will neve'rthelcss' provide far greater area of contact and much more positive contact thanis provided by corresponding prior art contact elements.

' ,Ahother object of my invention is to provide an improved electrical-coupling device having aplurality 01 identical coupling members which can; be readily matedwith each other to provide' improved electrical connection between the circuit portions to which they are connected.

' member accordance with my present 'invenemclent in operation.

With the. above and related objects in view.

my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, asjwill be'more fully understood from the iollowingdescription, when readin conjunction with the accompanying drawingin which:

1o Fig. l is aperspective view of a pair of ac.

tacliable electrical coupling members according .to my present invention. wherein the electrical couplin members are-identical, in construction.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the detachable elec- Fig; 3 is a side view of one oi; the electrical coupling members alone. v r Fig -4 isaf-top view of one of the quick de tachable coupling members.

Fig. 5 is a front view of a. plurality of electricalconnectors according to my present invention mountedon ,a. single panel or plate.

Fi'g, 6 is a fragmentary view of a pair of quick detachable members within their respective-casings or housings accordingto my present invention.

casings oi Fig. G-by itself.

. .LFlg." 8 isa view taken along the line 8-8 or Fig.7. 9 is a side view of a modification of the contact member according to my present invcn;--

tion, msmoumcatmn being useiul as an insert in a moldedinsulator.

. IOis-another modification of a contact 'tion.

Fig. r en end view of one or the duplicate I Another object of my invention is to provide identical electrical coupling members'whichare 40 mechanically strong. n

' Another object ofmy invention is toprovide complementary electrical coupling members n which may be made of a. single set of dies and f 11118 a sectional view taken along the punches. v line ll-I-ll'ot Fig.2. n n

other object or my invention is to provide 15 isa perspective view of a, casin'g'i'or a, complementary casings which may be made of a panel carrying a pluralit of termjnalg single-set of dies andpunches. is 1 a fragmentary View, showing two casins parts such as. shown in Fig. l5'interfitting -'1 'ig. 12;is a fragmentary-view of one of the prongs. ,l 13 isia sectional view taken along the line Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved device oi the character described, together.

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary perspective view of the casing illustrated in Figs. 6, 'l, and 8.

Referring now in greater detailto the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer insulator, generally designated as A. 'The insulatlng strip A has a plurality of openings l therethrough in order that a portion of an electrical connector or contact, generally designated as B, may pass through the aforementioned openings.

'The electrical connector B comprises a strip of suitable metal, preferably copper or brass having suitable electrical and mechanical characteristics wherein one end has a central longitudinally extending slot l5 therein so. that two prongs, branches or legs I4, ID are formed at that end in the manner of a'bifurcation.

The slot l5 must be, of a width slightly less than the thickness of the electrical connector B,

so that the prongs, legs, or contacts 14 and Hi adjacent the slot are spaced apart a distance less than the thickness of the strip B. The slot l5 .order that the prongs i4 and it of each-con- I nector, when fitted'together as in Figs. 2, 6 and 14, will make a good electrical contact.

The other end IQ of the contact B has a'longitudinal slit 2|! therein to provide a pair of longitudinal strips 22 and 24 bymeans of which the contact B may be securely attached to the insulator A. One terminalor leg 22 is bent at 22A to engagev one side 01 the insulator A and is offset as at 26 to pass through one hole l0; after which the leg is bent back as at 223 to engage the opposite wall or the insulator A and then the leg 22 is bent to be aligned with the leg M. A notch 28 in the terminal 22 serves -to receive wrap-around wire.

The second, integral, longitudinal strip 24 of the contact B is symmetrically located about the longitudinal axis of the'strip so that its offset "it passes through the second'opening In in the insulating strip 'A. A portion of the strip 24 then is substantially aligned with the leg 16 on the opposite side of the contact. It is to be observed that the legs 22 and 24 extend in the same vertical plane and portions 22A and 22B engagethe insulatin strip A, thereby holding the contact in position. The portions 24A and 21B of the portion 2 4' similarly engage the sides of the insulator to hold the contact member in firm engagement against the strip A. A second identically constructed member has an insulating I B and B1 are fully engaged in opposed relation (see Figs. 2, 6, and 14), the edge surfaces MA MB, ISA. and [6B, are in engagement with their complementary surfaces on the other complementary contact member. This provides an increased contact area thereby providing a, better electrical contact than is provided where there is a mere line contact. The electrical and mechanical connection is enhanced by the wiping action resulting from the, mutual insertion of the two contacts, and by the tension of the contact legs against the included contact members. It is for the purpose or obtaining this constant tension that the slots ii are madeoi a width described previously. The length of slot i5 is half the length of the engaging portion of, the contact.

When the contacts 13 and B1 are coupledtogether, contact of. the beveled surfaces 14A, 1413,

16A and 16B is obtained immediately, and sincev the area of contact is relatively large, it is apparent that the contact resistance is immediately lowered instead of being relatively high, as in the case of mere line or edge contact characteristic of prior-art devices. It will be noted that the taper provided by the beveled surfaces 14A, 14B, 16A, arid 168 results in opposed or facing surfaces 140mm 160 on each-of the prongs or legs 14 and 16, which have a transverse dimension smaller than that of the body portion or overall thickness of each prong.

I place the insulator A into a casing, generally designated as C, so that the contact B may engage the contact BI which is on a similar casing,'general1y designated as CI. However the outside casings-C and Cl will interlock one with the other'in but one position. Explained in other-words, the casings C and Cl will interflt only when the contacts B and BI inter-fit me-' chanically and formlIs] an electrical connection.

The casing C has a pressed out extension 30 and mentary inturned ear 31A to hold the insulator in a" plurality of internally stamped out ears 32. The extension 3|! is adapted to int'erflt with a complementary opening 3 in the casing CI.

The inturned ears 32 of easing Ctend to hold the insulator A in a fixed, immovable position. Spaced from the inturned ears 3! isa compleposition. In other words one car 32 abuts one side of the insulator and one ear 32A abuts the other side of the insulator to hold the insulator firmly in position.

The casing C has its corners 38 cut away so that two such identical casings will interfit. To unlock the casings it is necessary to depress ears 3|! after which the casings" can be separated from each other. I

In Fig. 9, I have shown a contact 1 member wherein the blade-like contact elements or legs 50 and 52 have an opening 53 therebetween, but the entrance to the opening 53 is partially closed by curved extensions 54 and 56 in the legs 50 and 52 respectively. The extensions 54 and 56 serve tobetter lock the members together so that the contacts will be more difficult to sep'aof a contact member wherein the wire connecting terminal is bent at right angles, as at 58. An opening 60 through the end 58 is adapted to receive a washer or grommet or wire. In Fig. 11, I have shown a side view of the contact member better illustrated in Fig. 10.

In Fig. 5, I show a plurality of contact members B mounted on a-single insulator strip A2. The contact members'B are adapted to mate with a strip of identical construction so that the connections will be polarized. It is to be noted that the upper and lower contacts B are spaced apart and the lower contacts are turned at with respect to the position of the upper contacts. In other words, if the legs I 4 and i601 the upper sass? contacts 13 lie in a vertical plane, the lower contacts B are positioned so that their contact members i4, i6 lie in a horizontal plane. The reason for this construction is that the electrical contacts of a pair of mutually cooperable strips can only be fitted together in a single predetermined position, namely, when the two contact members are disposed in-planes 90 apart, as

shown in Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 14;

In Figs. 15 and 16, I have shown a casing, generally designated as C2, which is adapted to hold the strip A2 but wherein the sides 62 and 64 are slightly inclined relative to each other insteadof being at right angles to the parallel sides 66, 68. 10 and 12, respectively, the purpose or these slots 10 and 12 being to enable the inclined walls 'of the casings to interlock so that the contact members on the strip A2 will properly interfit' mechanically and electrically and they can be fitted together only in one position.

The sides 62, BI are formed with slots Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, such description isinte'nded.

as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is'to be determined .as

claimed. i

I claim as my invention: [1. An electrical coupling device comprising a i a pair of complementary, interchangeable casings,

a support of insulating material within each of said casings, a furcated contact member carried by each-of said supports, one of said contact members being disposed in .a plane at a right angle to that of the other of said-contact mem-' bers, the furcated portions of said contact mem. bers being arranged in opposed relation and being adap-ted'to interfit in firm engagement with one posed on one side of said support and said otherv end being disposed on the other side of said support.

of insulating material, and a contact 'member carried thereby, said member comprising a; strip of electro -conductive material bii'urcated at one end for the reception thereon oi a similarly constructed strip and slitted from its other end a distance towardsaid biiurcated'end toprovide I two separable portions, said support having a pair of spaccd openings therein through each of which a'sep arate one or said separable portions extends, said separable portions being formed with reverse bends one on each side oi said support, said bends being in engagement with the respective sides oi said support-whereby to clamp said strip thereto, said bifurcated end being disposed on onesid-e of said support and said other end being disposed on the other side 01 said support, and said ends being both disposed in a common plane.

4. .A quichdetaohable electrical connector omnprisina a pair of connectable parts each including a bifurcated contact member having spacer legs at one end. said legs tapering inwardly from the body portions thereof in a direction toward the mm surfaces of said 'leos whereby said facing surfaces are of smaller transverse dimension than said body portions, the tapers on said legs providing contacting surfaces for said contact members, said contact members being disposed in planes normal to each other and-in. opposed relation whereby said contact members may be brought into mating relation witheachother and with their said contacting surfaces in another to provide electrical contact therebe tween, and complementary, cooperable means'onsaidcasings for. releasably locking said casings to each other whereby to maintain said contact member in contacting relation] '2. man electrical contactdevice, a support of insulating material, and a contact member carried thereby, said membercomprising a strip of electro-conductive material bifurcated at one end for the reception thereon 01" a similarly constructed strip and slitted' from its otherv end a distance toward said bifurcated end to provide two separable portions, said support having a pair of spaced openings therein through'each of which a separate one of said separable portions extends, said separable portions being formed with reverse bends one on each side of said support, said bends being in engagement with'the respective sides of said support whereby to clamp said-strip thereto, said bifurcated end'being'dis enflaqement with each other, and the-legs of each of said contact members being spaced from one 'anothero distance such that said legs are enomd under tension. BENJAMlNFOX,

numbness CITED The following references-areof record'in the file of this patent or the original patent:

; STATES PATENflS Number Name Date 589,708 Flint Sept. 7, 1897 r 2,125,816 Reynolds Aug. 2, 1938 2,386,127 Andersen Oct. 9, -1945 2,389,115 Anderson Nov. 20.1945

"FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Datev 20,685 England .......l 0:.1898 1 477,255 "England Dec. 24, 1937 3. In an electrical contact device, a support France June s, 1921- Reiseue No 23,547

Ce rtifieat'e of co neguon i September 9, 195 2 BENJAMIN FOX It; is hereby certified that error appeersgin" the printed speeification of.

the above numberedpatent requiring correction as follows:

Column 6, line 25, for spacer read spaced; and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record oft'he case in the Patent Ofliee.

Signed and sealed this 24th day of Mgrch,- A. D. 1953.

moMAs F. MURPHY;

Assistant Oqmmiseianer of Patent. 

